About the Certificate IV of MH Peer Work

[Blackcloud]

I was looking at this certificate that’s available at my uni. They only do august intakes and seems like this certificate utilises the ‘teaching periods’ system like 3 trimesters or something instead of the 2 semesters a year. The course goes for 1 year in part time but I wonder if it’s possible for me to undertake both this course and a bachelors degree at the same time? Like e.g. if I was to undertake perhaps 1 unit from this cert 4 per trimester/teaching period and 2 units from a bachelor degree per trimester…

theres 15 units in total, plus 80 hours of work placement…

@RiverSeal @tyme @Ru-bee @MJG017 and anyone else doing the course and knows, any of you guys know anything about this and/or willing to give me answers? 🤔 

FYI, the bachelor degree I’m about to be doing uses the trimester period since it’s all online. And it’s the field that’s related to mental health (psychological sciences)

[MJG017]

Hi @Blackcloud 

As you know i'm doing the Cert IV at the moment, it's mostly online.  I've keep fully up to date with all assignments and completely everything before i needed to.  Mainly because I hate feeling like i need to catch up with anything.  Does it take up most of my time during the week?  No, not even close.  My assignment on trauma-informed care was 30 pages.  So it's not like i'm putting in a bare minimum effort.  I get sighs from my lecturer when I ask "is this too long?" but i am enjoying it and learning a lot from it.  But it hasn't been like a full time job time commitment wise.

So i guess my answer would be it's just up to you and how much time you want to devote to study.  We've talked a bit now and I feel like you could handle it as far as being able to do the work, it's just being honest with yourself about how much time you want to devote to study every week.  If you enjoy it and you don't have much else taking up your time then maybe doing the 2 classes is a good use of your time.  You could always defer or cut back if it becomes a bit too much.  But just don't jump in without asking yourself those questions first?  

Obviously the work placement does add to the time quite a bit and may conflict.  My 80 hours will be spread out over a term and consists of 2 days a week.  So obviously that is something to consider when the work placement is scheduled and how flexible it is with your other study.

[Blackcloud]

@MJG017 Thanks, I appreciate your answer and advice. It’s great to hear that doing the course doesn’t feel overwhelming from your experience, and even doing it online as well. ❤️

[MJG017]

@Blackcloud 

I'm finding it really interesting and enjoying it.  The online format does make it very flexible time wise, especially with no need to travel, but i do miss the social aspect.  We do have assessment days and online and face to face optional study hubs so i do enjoy getting time to spend with the other students. Look at me... getting all social in my old age! 😁

[Blackcloud]

@MJG017 for the placements, can I ask what you guys generally do during or for placements really? From what I'm seeing, it's pretty like a work experience or work trial type of thing - where you guys get to 'work' in a particular setting that's related to the course you're doing and you're basically talking to clients during your placement period - I dont know if thats true. But please feel free to correct me and/or confirm what you guys do during your placement periods 🙂

[MJG017]

@Blackcloud 

I think ours is a bit unique (i could be wrong) but our training organization does a simulated workplace we attend 2 days a week during term 3.  You can organise your own placement if you wish, but we havent really been told much more about it yet.

[Blackcloud]

@MJG017 Fair enough, I actually thought the placement thing goes for the whole entire course - as in, taking place within each terms lol!